Hi all,
I bought a house load of carpet from a major carpet company, including fitting. Whilst they were fitting the carpet in the kitchen, they moved our brand new still in packaging fridge and smacked it off the dining area light fitting. This has left a large dent and scratch on the upper front door, really noticeable.
Ive spoken to the carpet co, and they said its the fitter who needs to sort it out as they are a subcontractor, and anyway they shouldnt have moved the fridge at all as they arent meant to.
Fitter says its between us and the carpet company, he takes no responsibility.
So Im about to contact the carpet company again and if he wont sort it out, then ask for his area manager’s contact details.
Im unsure though, because they are not meant to move stuff, if the company can just plain refuse to do anything, and also, Im unsure what can be done to resolve it. Would they off me money back, or try and get the fridge repaired?

Any thoughts or experiences much appreciated

If the carpet co took your money, your contract is with them, and they’re responsible. Up to them if they subcontract, but they have to fix things if/when they go wrong.

IMHO, you paid the carpet company, they should sort it., The fact that they subbed the job out to someone who did something he shouldn’t have done is NOT your problem – it’s theirs’. You paid them to have a job done, they should take responsibility for it. I’m not a lawyer though

The carpet fitters should take full responsability for their actions
and redress any damage they may have caused .
they should also have insurance to cover them for damage to housholders property .

Have you paid the bill in full

Its pillocks like that that give us reputable fitters a bad name

Yes, your contract is with the carpet company, and they are already giving you the run around – it’s for them to chase the subbie.

I’d say it’s for them to pay for a new fridge door or otherwise compensate you for the damage.

One word:

Trading Standards.

carpet company, responsibility, whether they directly employ or sub contract is of no concern of yours.

as above you paid the carpet co for a service, the fact that they sub-contract is irrelevant – your contract is with them.

start putting everything in writing so you have evidence of them refusing to sort it out.
find out the MD’s email address and email them.
have a go at them via facebook/twitter

[Devils advocate] Why did the carpet fitter have to move anything, shouldn’t you have made sure that they had a clear run in the first place. Did it need to be moved in order for him to complete his work or did you ask him to move stuff as required? [/Devils advocate]

But if you are going to get anywhere with it it’ll be the carpet company that you need to chase up, as they are the ones that took your money.

presumably you stand on the Carpet?

What do you reckon your time and effort pursuing is worth? They’ll gie you £50 or something if yer lucky.

If it’s really upsetting you, use yer insurance.

or you could just live with it, whack a sticker and some fridge magnets over it and move on in life.

because they are not meant to move stuff, if the company can just plain refuse to do anything

If they’re not meant to move stuff, they shouldn’t have moved stuff.

Sorry, can’t get beyond putting a carpet in the kitchen!

With the carpet country. They have Public Liability cover or should have. Claim on that. They’ll have all the information on display in the shop.

as above you paid the carpet co for a service, the fact that they sub-contract is irrelevant – your contract is with them.

If it’s CarpetShite then they get you to make a £50 (or what ever) payment to the fitter – so effectively the contract is between you and the fitter, which is why they always say go back to the fitter if you have a problem. It’s pretty dishonest if you ask me, but that’s what they do.

damage by carpet fitters, where do I stand?

somewhere else perhaps?

If it’s really upsetting you, use yer insurance.

No, the carpet co should use their insurance.

This is what the public liabilities insurance they should all have is for,regardless of whether they should or should’t have moved the fridge they did, they are liable and they should be insured end of……

As an ex subbie plasterer, I used to get paid a month later by the main contractor,so they will have not paid him yet.

If it’s really upsetting you, use yer insurance.

Dont do that it is not your fault

If it’s really upsetting you, use yer insurance.

Dont do that it is not your fault

Actually, your insurance may well chase this for you – worth asking them

What do you reckon your time and effort pursuing is worth? They’ll gie you £50 or something if yer lucky.

If it’s really upsetting you, use yer insurance.

or you could just live with it, whack a sticker and some fridge magnets over it and move on in life.

And because of attitudes like that the subcontractor takes the same view 🙄

As everyone else has said,

The responsibility lies with whoever the contract is with, which will be the shop. If they’ve subcontracted and are blaming the contractors, then that’s fine, they can blame whoever they like; but it’s their job to claim against the fitters if that’s the case. They are liable for damage caused, and will have public liability insurance for just this reason.

With the carpet country.

I like the idea of a carpet country, I imagine it to be similar to the land Mr Soft inhabits. It would have a seventies vibe and slight stale smell.

When it comes to paying subcontractors directly, I take this view:

If, as part of buying a carpet, they said “you need to use these fitters, but we want you tro pay them separately”, then all the carpet co is doing is asking you to redirect some of the payment due to it direct to the fitter. It doesn’t alter the relationship of:

you – carpet co – fitter.

So, as above, it’s the carpet co. Just cos they don’t understand the basics of privity of contract doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t take liability.

Worked in a house a few years ago, the customersd told us to move the furniture round, as it was chipboard, crap, we refused as did the carpet fitters, so they decided to move it themselves, just after we all pointed out it would be lighter if emptied, they failed to empty it, lifted the sidebaord thing up, and it fell to pieces, strangely we all had a choking (laughing fit) and had to run out.

When we all again pointed out that we didnt move stuff for that reason, they just didnt understand, just terminally thick they where.

Carpet in the kitchen, no dogs/cats/wet washing/sloppy washing up/ bin bag splits/or kids then.

Carpet in the kitchen, no dogs/cats/wet washing/sloppy washing up/ bin bag splits/or kids then.

To be fair it could be just part of the kitchen, like one end away from the sinks etc.